Here’s my case for why Resentment and Unforgiveness are the greatest threats to society today

I have a belief that many people have issue with God because they don’t see justice in their lives. We see it in the movies - the bad guys always get what’s coming to them - but in real life? Not so much.

Our abuser walks free. Our cheating spouse posts pictures on instagram as if they are happy. Our business partner touts their success when we know they stole from us. Our parent abandoned us.

The science seems clear as I will share below - not offering forgiveness freely to those who have hurt us is going to kill us sooner than later - much sooner!

We’ve all been there. Someone hurts us - maybe deeply - and we replay it over and over, holding on to what feels like justice. But research suggests that holding on may do more than weigh on our hearts. It may weigh on our health and cause disease.

The Evidence

A 2025 report from Howard University medical consultant Dr. Patrick Ijewere argues that unforgiveness, resentment, and chronic anger don’t just affect relationships — they can damage the body itself.¹ His findings echo a growing field of study linking emotional stress to disease, including cancer.

If you have heard me share my dad’s story - he had to confront this idea of forgiving people before he found healing. I recently had a friend die of cancer - he did all the right things as far as lifestyle goes. He looked the part, perfect shape, ate healthy, grew food, beautiful smile, happy family - and then died. I was so discouraged. Then later the spouse reached out and shared that he had been holding on to resentment for years and they think this is what blocked their healing.

Dr. Ijewere goes on to say - “Of all cancer patients, 61 percent have forgiveness issues, and of those, more than half are severe”. “Harboring negative emotions like anger and hatred creates a state of chronic anxiety that raises cortisol levels and suppresses the immune system.”²

When the immune system is compromised, he says, normal cells are more likely to mutate. “One of the major causes of rapid cancer cell mutation is the presence of negative emotions such as hate, grief, and others which can lead to depression. When there is a breakdown of the immune system, the normal cells mutate into cancer cells which make them spread fast.”³

He adds that chronic stress also interrupts the body’s healing rhythm:

“When the body is not relaxed, the mind will not relax sufficiently enough to enter the deep-sleep cycle to produce melatonin, which is the primary hormone responsible for inhibiting cancer cell growth.”⁴

Dr. Steven Standiford, chief of surgery at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, echoes that sentiment. “It’s important to treat emotional wounds or disorders because they really can hinder someone’s reactions to the treatments, even someone’s willingness to pursue treatment.”⁵

Even comedian Steve Harvey once described resentment as “like a cancer… it eats away at you from the inside out.”⁶

The message isn’t that anger causes cancer overnight. It’s that our bodies and minds are inseparable. Chronic resentment keeps the body in a constant state of alarm — elevated cortisol, shallow sleep, poor immunity, and slower cellular repair. Forgiveness, on the other hand, releases that tension and allows the body to return to balance.

I know so many people who walk around with a backpack full of resentment. My encouragement for your own health - set it down, throw it into the ocean and let it sink to the bottom.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

 • What emotion are you still carrying that your body might be paying for?

 • What would forgiveness look like if it were for your health, not just your heart?

What if that person is not ever going to ask you to forgive them? Will you still let your emotions be the death of you?

I believe more and more all the time in the idea of what goes around - comes around. Some call it Karma, some call it what you reap you will sow - actions have equal and opposite reactions - it’s a law of the universe.

Forgiveness isn’t weakness. It’s medicine - for you!

Give yourself a gift today - forgive someone who wronged you.

I write this newsletter each week because I feel my best when my body, mind and soul are all healthy. I want the same for you. If you feel like you’ve seen something valuable here, please do me a favor and forward this newsletter to a friend or let me know what you think by replying or texting me - (310) 879-8441

I think happy couples make the world go round. I also believe men can do more to lead and love in their lives. In light of that, I have found the following four books to be the 4 books every man should read and every woman should want their man to read.

• Good Energy - What makes for a Healthy Body and Mind?

• The Masculine in Relationship - How to Win the Trust, Lust and Devotion of a Strong Woman

• The Man’s Guide to Women - The Science of Happy Relationships

• The Desire of Ages - Leadership in a World of Cowards

Here are a few other links to things that have changed my life:

Whoop - Track your HRV and REM Sleep

Function Health - Optimize Your Health via 100+ BioMarkers

Here are a few topics I think you’ll love if you haven’t checked them out before:

How to Breathe for Better Health

How to Supercharge Your Sleep

The Power of the Sauna

-Jared

P.S. - This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The content, such as graphics, images, text, and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only. The content is not meant to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any specific individual's medical condition.

References

 1. Asheea Smith, “Howard Scientist: Why Grudges Can Give You Cancer,” The Root, October 22, 2025.

 2. Ibid., quoting Dr. Patrick Ijewere, Howard University.

 3. Ibid.

 4. Ibid.

 5. Ibid., quoting Dr. Steven Standiford, Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

 6. Ibid., referencing Steve Harvey’s commentary on resentment and health.